


The Story of the Snake

by terma_archivist



Category: Once a Thief (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-01-01
Updated: 2002-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:16:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26498500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terma_archivist/pseuds/terma_archivist
Summary: A gunshot wound gives Mac the chance to finally tell Victor his secret.
Relationships: Victor Mansfield/Mac Ramsey
Collections: TER/MA





	The Story of the Snake

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alicettlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [TER/MA](https://fanlore.org/wiki/TER/MA) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2019. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [the TER/MA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/terma/profile).

  
**The Story of the Snake  
by Ratfink**

  
He turned around even before he heard the sound of the bullet flying, and everything then seemed to be in slow motion. He saw Vic's eyes, just before he was hit, he looked surprised, and then the impact threw his body halfway around, and before Mac could reach him, he hit the cold floor. From far away Mac heard Li Ann's voice, and then another gun going off, and saw the man who had hit Victor being shot and most certainly dead before hitting the wall and then the floor. 

But all of that was unreal to him, like a dream, the only thing real was Vic's body, limp in his arms. 

* * *

The agency hospital staff was doing their best. They had Vic on the table for over 5 hours, and when they were finally done, they brought him to his room, where his two partners were already waiting. Liann had fallen asleep on one of the beds, and Mac was standing by they window, not able to do anything but wait and hope. 

They said, that he would probably make it, but they couldn't tell for sure. Vic had to fight, and he had to wake up soon. If he went into a coma, they couldn't guarantee for anything. 

So Mac did the only thing he could think of doing. He sat down beside Vic's bed, took the older man's hand into his, and started to talk. He was waiting for Vic to wake up, and tell him to shut up and let him sleep. And then he would kiss the man, and they would... 

/Hell, where did that come from?/ 

/Well, anyway,/ he thought /there is this one story I have never told him./ 

He had wanted to for some time now, but it never seemed to be the right time or place, so he had kept it to himself, but now seemed to be a good moment. 

"When I was younger, you know, before my parents left me, before I was with the Tangs, I used to love drawing pictures, I know what you want to say, and this time I agree with you, I wasn't really good at it. Not that bad though....stop laughing now will you....and I spent like my entire time, sitting on the floor of our living room, and drawing these pictures. Used to drive my mom crazy. I got paint all over the carpet, and she freaked, but she couldn't stop me. Strange how you remember these little things. When you are at it, it doesn't seem to be so important, it's just another one of those passing moments, and you don't really think about it, but years later, you realize, that those moments were decisive for the rest of your life. You know, like the moment when you told me you didn't love Li Ann anymore, and I just thought.....Hell, why is he telling me this, and you just looked at me with these eyes, and well.....but back now to my story, I know you probably can't wait to hear the rest of it. One day my dad read me this story about some snake, that would eat animals in one piece, and then spent one month digesting it, before it needed new food. 

So that's what I drew. A snake that had eaten an elephant. It looked something like this: 

He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and drew something on it. Then he held it in front of Vic's face, as if to will him to open his eyes and laugh at it. But there was no movement, so he kept talking. 

"I was so proud of my work, it really was the first thing in my life, that seemed to make total sense. So I ran to my mum, and waved it in her face, I jumped around in our little kitchen, until she finally looked at it. She looked at me, than back at the picture and in the end she sighed exasperated. She said in her typical you-drive-me-crazy-voice that she really didn't know, why the hell I drew a hat. I stared at her in disbelief, to me it was obvious what this was. It might have looked a little bit like a hat, but only with a lot of fantasy added, and, well you know what kids feel like when this happens. They know exactly, that grown-ups are crazy. Simply....., well, ......grown up. 

So I didn't give a damn about what she was saying. I thought, that I would meet other people, and they would understand. I stopped drawing pictures when I first realized, that no one saw it. I showed my snake to every person I knew, and as a five year old you don't have that many friends, so this didn't take very long, and not one person saw what I saw. I thought, well, what the fuck. There will be other people, there will be other chances, but I kept growing older, and I still saw a snake, and everyone around me saw .....a hat. Finally I decided, that I would have to change my mind, that I was wrong, and that I would have to just look at the picture long enough, to see what they were seeing, but I didn't. Then everything changed so fast, and I lost track of the time. It wasn't until I was 20 years old, and I found this old picture per accident, while searching for old photos to show them to Li Ann. She took the picture from my hand, and looked at it in disbelief, and just like everyone before her she asked me, why did you draw a hat? 

That was when I realized, that in the last years of my life, there has never been one person who understood me, and I promised myself, that I would keep searching. Sometimes when I thought, that I had met someone reasonable, someone who might know, I showed them my snake, and they said, what's with the hat. You asked me once, if I had felt alone growing up, and I told you, maybe sometimes, but that was the wrong question to ask. I wasn't alone. I had people I loved, and people who loved me, at least most of the time, but if you would have asked me, if I was understood, I would have had to tell you, that I wasn't. 

I grew up, I learned to act like they did, I asked the right questions in the right moments, I learned to move on their level. And so it happened that I haven't talked to anyone really, my entire life, until this one day. 

I remember it as if it was yesterday, do you? Remember it I mean? 

I guess you do, you don't forget things like this. We both had had a nice and companionable evening, one of these where we were arguing and fighting, and enjoying ourselves immensely. You took me home, because I had had a little too much to drink, and when I offered you a drink, you said, sure why not. I remember how you looked a little surprised, positive, but still surprised, and you were standing at my table, going through the papers that were splattered across it. I came from the kitchen with my drink in one hand and your drink in the other, and then it happened. You grinned at me, not your usual grin, but the one you seem to have reserved only for me—what a lucky person I am—and asked: "My, Mac, I never knew you were an artist, but don't you think, that an elephant is maybe a little to big for the snake to digest. 

You always say that I threw myself over the table, but that's not true, I did walk around it. I admittedly hurried, because I really couldn't believe it, and before I could think about my actions I had you in my arms, and I was kissing you senseless. But you know that. When you asked me once, what had possessed me that day, I told you I would tell you the story one day, but like I said, I just never got around to do it. So, I guess over the years, I just forgot, and I guess, you forgot it as well, but here it finally is, the reason, why I love you more than anyone else in this world. I am not alone anymore, and I don't know how to thank you for......" 

That was the moment he looked up, to see his lover's face, and his eyes were met by Vic's. There were tears shimmering in his sea-green eyes, and when he spoke his voice was weak, but his words were strong. 

"Mac, I had to wait for 12 years, and I had to get shot, before you come around to tell me this?" 

"We lived, slept and loved together for 12 years, and everyday you find another way to surprise me Victor, I thought for once, I could surprise you." 

Both men didn't notice the person standing behind them, her eyes also full of tears as she came forward and slumped into Vic's embrace, who held her tight, and all of them couldn't suppress a grin when Mac's arms joined the circle, and one of them muttered something about group cuddles. 

"I can't believe how cute you are together, guys." 

"Mac?" 

"Yes Victor?" 

"Dessine-moi un mouton!" 

FIN 

* * *

_"On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur!"  
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry_

PG I guess, only once possibly offensive blue language   
Summary: A gunshot wound gives Mac the chance to finally tell Victor his secret.   
Disclaimer: Well, they will never be mine I guess, but right now, I would say they are all fancy free, since Aliience and John Woo didn't take the right care of them.   
Thanks to Antoine de Saint Exupéry, this wonderful person who shared his childhood with us in his wonderful book: Le petit prince. It's his idea I stole, and I hope he forgives me.   
Also I want to give thanks to all the slash writers out there, who are giving a home to all the poor men out there, that would otherwise be alone.   
THANK YOU Kiwi, for great beta, and even greater support   
Comments always welcome and highly appreciated, since this is really my first fanfic ever. 

Feedback: PLEASE [email removed]   
  
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